One of Serge Gainsbourg's best albums ever – a set that we love every bit as much as his Melody Nelson classic, or his killer records with Jane Birkin! The set was recorded in the mid 70s, and it features amazing orchestrations from Alan Hawkshaw – backings that are even better than Hawk's previous sound library work, and which are filled with loads of cool spare moogy and electronic bits filtering in and out of the mix! Some tracks bubble with the same brooding brilliance and funky touches that you'd find on the Melody Nelson album – and others have a uniquely spacey quality that's unlike any of his other work! Tracks include "Transit A Marilou", "Aeroplanes", "Variations Sur Marilou", "Premiers Symptomes", and "Lunatic Asylum". A great record – and one of the first of Serge's that we'd recommend! 2CD version features a whole bonus set of instrumental tracks from the album sessions – and alternate versions of "Transit A Marilou", "Lunatic Asylum", "Meurtre A L'Extincteur", and "Ma Lou Marilou". (French, Rock) CD

A legendary psych set from the Chicago scene of the late 60s – served up by a group who take their name from the famous horror author HP Lovecraft, and who get some sublime production from Dunwich – also another Lovecraft reference! The group have a really unique vibe – in that they've got some of the eeriness of late folk, mixed with fuzzier psychedelic instrumentation – vocals that have that quality from that moment in the summer of love when the sunshine children were starting to realize that the world was a darker place – with lots of spooky spaces to explore! The instrumentation is great – with all sorts of elements that really open up the sound, like harpsichord, clavichord, flute, tympani, 12 string guitar, and guitaroon – and the harmony vocals of the group really have an unsetting vibe. Jazzman Eddie Higgins plays a bit of vibes, and handles some larger arrangements – and titles include "I've Been Wrong Before", "The Time Machine", "That's How Much I Love You", "Wayfaring Stranger", "Let's Get Together", and "That's The Bag I'm In". CD

An album of pure genius – easily one of the greatest Brazilian albums ever, and a landmark set from the Tropicalia years! There's a brilliance here that's hard to describe accurately – quite possibly because the young Caetano Veloso is experimenting with so many new ideas, the album explodes with fresh energy on each new track! Offbeat bossa runs into weird production effects, subtle psychedelia, and heartfelt singer/songwriter material – all arranged by the mighty Rogerio Duprat, and featuring guest work from Gilberto Gil on guitar. The range of work here is tremendous – from the political "Empty Boat" to the fantastical "Lost in the Paradise", through other classics that include "Irene", "Os Argonautas", "Carolina", "Alfomega", "Chuvas De Verao", "Objeto Nao Identifcado", "Atras Do Trio Eletrico", and "Marinheiro So". (Brazil, Rock) CD

One of the greatest albums ever from Caetano Veloso – a rare all-English language set, recorded in London during the years of his exile! The post-Tropicalia set is a fair bit different than any other Veloso album we can think of – not just because of the English language, but also because the approach is somewhat gentle, and almost folksy at times – a real change from his experimental modes of the late 60s, and easily his most personal statement to date. The tunes are incredibly beautiful – filled with themes of loss and longing that no doubt come from his separation from Brazil – and although a few tunes feature light strings from Phil Ryan, most of the backings are relatively light, and almost acoustic. Titles include the classics "Shoot Me Dead", "If You Hold a Stone", "Maria Bethania", "In The Hot Sun Of A Christmas Day", and "London, London" – plus a cover of "Asa Branca". (Brazil, Rock) CD

Beautifully sensitive work from Jimmy Campbell – a record with a lot more depth than you might guess from the gimmicky image on the cover! Campbell returns here to spare, fragile territory throughout – working with instrumentation that's mostly just acoustic guitar and a bit of rhythm, plus occasional piano and organ – all in a style that reminds us of Biff Rose at some of his best late 60s moments, which is a pretty good comparison – considering Jimmy's uniquely personal style of singing, and his personally poetic choice of lyrical topics! The album's a real overlooked gem – the kind of singer-songwriter treasure that's arguably more suited to a hip audience these days than it might have been when first released back in the early 70s. Titles include "April Morning", "Paris You're In Paris", "Salvation Army Citadel", "By The Light Of A Lamp", "Maudie", "Baby Walk Out With Your Darling Man", "It Never Rains But It Pours", and "When You're Coming Home". CD

Brigitte Bardot's best known on these shores as an actress, but during the 60s she cut some really fantastic work on the scene in Paris – including a fair bit of groovers that were done with help from the legendary Serge Gainsbourg! Bardot provided a fantastic new voice in the world of pop music – a singer who was unabashedly open about her desires, and very different than the more melancholy stars of a few years before – a quality that's further emphasized by the wonderfully groovy instrumentation used on most of these tracks! Production and arrangements are superb – and put this music in the best territory of the grooviest 60s French pop by artists like Serge Gainsbourg, France Gall, Jacques Dutronc, and a rare few others. This is the first-ever English-annotated collection of work from the period – and features a whopping 25 tracks from her recordings for Philips and Disc AZ – titles that include "Harley Davidson", "Contact", "Neu Au Soleil", "Je Danse Donc Je Suis", "La Madrague", "Les Hommes Endormis", "Je Voudrais Perdre La Memoire", "Mr Sun", "Le Diable Est Anglais", "Tu Es Venu Mon Amour", "John Et Michel", "Gang Gang", and duets with Serge Gainsbourg on "Bonnie & Clyde" and "Je T'Aime Moi Non Plus". (French, Rock) CD